Well, Christmas has been and gone in New Zealand and we are just waiting for the New Year to arrive. All the signs are here. Road blocks at Mount Maunganui, the beach nearby, to make the area a pedestrian-only zone for the annual celebrations which take place there every year; liquor bans for a radius of several kilometres to ensure that drunk and disorderly behaviour from a select but obnoxious group is kept to a minimum. A higher police presence doing random checks for alcohol concealed in cars or bags, mid-afternoon breathtesting just down from the ocean beach.
None of this bothers me at all. In fact I am grateful for the resources that the country puts into enabling people to have a good time following an age-old tradition of partying and seeing the New Year in with music and fireworks at the beach, while trying very hard to make sure it is an occasion that all the family, young and old, can enjoy without fear of being hurt or abused. Sure, it is a bit more inconvenient for most of us, in fact very inconvenient for a few local residents (though they have a lot to gain by being well protected) .
Christmas was an especially important time for our family this year, as we said farewell to a beloved Nana the week before Xmas. We were grateful to have the opportunity to regroup on Xmas Day and just to enjoy each other’s company, with the reminder in the back of our minds that we do not live for ever and that each day and each person matters. What we enjoyed most was not the food or the presents, but spending time together with mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces and a few close friends. Wherever you are in the world, and whatever holiday you are celebrating, or not, I hope that 2012 brings you good health, happiness and hope for the future. Kia Ora.
